The Telangana High Court has upheld the life imprisonment awarded to a woman convicted of murdering her husband by strangling him with a nylon rope. A Division Bench comprising Justice K. Lakshman and Justice K. Sujana dismissed the appeal filed by Agurla Laxmi alias Gouri, confirming her conviction under Sections 302 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case relates to the killing of her husband, Komuraiah, on January 18, 2016, at their residence following repeated domestic disputes and allegations of harassment.

According to the prosecution, Komuraiah was asleep when Laxmi allegedly used a nylon rope to strangle him to death. After the incident, she reportedly told relatives and neighbours that her husband had died due to excessive alcohol consumption in an attempt to conceal the crime. However, the truth came to light the following morning when family members noticed suspicious marks on the victim’s neck while preparing the body for funeral rituals. During the investigation, police claimed that the accused admitted to the crime, and the nylon rope allegedly used in the murder was recovered.

While hearing the appeal, the High Court observed that the prosecution had established the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt through a complete chain of evidence. The Bench noted that medical findings, including a ligature mark on the victim’s neck and a fractured hyoid bone, clearly indicated death by strangulation. The court also relied on witness statements, the alleged confession, and the recovery of the murder weapon before affirming the trial court’s verdict. As a result, the life sentence for murder and the five-year rigorous imprisonment for attempting to conceal the offence remain in force.